Samsung Series 7 Chronos laptop falls well short of perfection, review finds
Posted on 13. Nov, 2011 by Albert Madison in Laptops, Laptops, Reviews
Revealed in August the Samsung Series 7 Chronos line of notebooks was pegged as being Samsung’s official answer to Apple’s Macbook Pro line of premium aluminum laptops. The Series 7 Chronos notebooks featured aluminum builds, Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge Core i5 and Core i7 processors, the latest mobile graphics solutions from AMD’s Radeon HD range; pretty much the main specs. for the Series 7 Chronos notebooks were pretty well in-line with Apple’s Macbook Pro range for 2011.
The Samsung Series 7 Chronos laptop has a chiclet keyboard and large multi-gesture trackpad. Image: Samsung
Samsung started selling the new Chronos notebooks in September with prices hovering around $1000 for most models, the Samsung notebooks were cheaper than the Apple laptops. Does Samsung deliver a truly superior experience for less money than Apple?
According to Notebook Check the build quality isn’t consistent throughout the 15.6-inch Samsung 700Z5A-S01DE (Series 7 Chronos) they had in for testing, also the 15.6-inch 1600×900 LED backlight display isn’t up to par with similarly priced laptops, but overall system performance (CPU, GPU, RAM, HDD/SSD) was found to be very good with the notebook.
In their critique of the Samsung 700Z5A-S01DE’s build quality the reviewers noted that the keyboard area flexed under pressure in the center of the keyboard, the touchpad area, and near the optical drive (the laptop has a slot-load drive). Also the display hinge isn’t very strong, vibrations make the 15.6-inch display move from position. The reviewer noted that the only part of the Series 7 Chronos laptop that’s aluminum is the lid.
When it came to the laptops 15.6-inch 1600×900 LED backlight display the reviewers were stunned at how poorly the black colors were displayed. The reviewer remarks, “the picture looks extremely pale and thus its [recommended] to use an external monitor for multimedia consumption”. When Notebook Check ran an sRGB test for their Series 7 Chronos laptop they said, “sRGB spectrum isn’t even close to being covered”. Basically if you’re a professional and you know a good display when you see one the Samsung Series 7 Chronos won’t satisfy you.
Is the 15.6″ Samsung Series 7 Chronos better than the equivalent Apple Macbook Pro?
If you were looking for a laptop that beats the Apple Macbook Pro in every category the Samsung Series 7 Chronos isn’t it. The Samsung has really good PC performance for the money you’ll spend on one, and the Samsung is a lot cheaper than a comparably equipped 15-inch Apple Macbook Pro. However the Samsung falls short in build quality and it really blows it in display quality test, two areas the comparable Apple Macbook Pro doesn’t drop the ball.
If you want a laptop that’s without a doubt better than the Apple Macbook Pro you’ll have to look elsewhere. However if you’re content with having a very nice looking and performing laptop for under $1000USD then the Samsung Series 7 Chronos will be able to oblige.
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9 Responses to “Samsung Series 7 Chronos laptop falls well short of perfection, review finds”
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Oz
13. Nov, 2011
The reviewer noted that the only part of the Series 7 Chronos laptop that’s aluminum is the lid.
The reviewer should check again, the only part of the machine that is not aluminum in the palm rest.
Marc
13. Nov, 2011
Since when does display = primary component on which to judge a computer on? This reviewer is being payed off by Apple to talk bullcrap. He barely mentions the performance compared to the MBP, and only rambles about the display quality. What we have here is a premium, quality laptop which undoubtedly rivals Apple’s MBP, but this Apple fanboy doesn’t want to admit it.
LaptopMan
14. Nov, 2011
It’s important to some if you consider that similarly priced Windows 7 laptops have better displays.
RShack
14. Nov, 2011
Reports about the screen are all over the place. We can only hope it is a QA problem with initial production. I was and am very much looking forward to this machine, but will not buy it unless and until the screen performance issue is straightened out. Time will tell whether this is just a problem for early adopters vs. a v. significant problem with the model as a whole.
RShack
14. Nov, 2011
For anyone to claim that strong concerns about this machine’s screen is due to Mac favoritism is just plain looney.
The reports of lousy screens are a very, very significant concern for many who were/are looking forward to this computer.
NWPlayer
17. Nov, 2011
I doubt that LCD screen made by Samsung, the #1 LCD maker (quality-wise) in the workd, would be anything but good quality.
LaptopMan
17. Nov, 2011
Hi NWPlayer,
I’m sorry but Samsung did make the display for the Samsung Series 7 Chronos laptop that was reviewed.
Here are the exact display specifications:
15.6 inch 16:9, 1600×900 pixel, Samsung LTN156KT068 (SEC314B), HD+ SuperBright, LED backlight, glossy: no
NWPlayer
23. Nov, 2011
I know that Samsung did make the display. According to many other places I read about this laptop, the display is very good, as I would expect for Samsung-made LCD. What’s funny about this article is that the author didn’t even have any hands-on experience with the item. He is just referencing some review written in some other site. Useless!
mbangali
02. Dec, 2011
Now had a new laptop here, and I had actually already picked out a Sony because of Sony’s displays are good. At the Sony store in Berlin, I was then somewhat appalled by the wobbly screen and the volume at work. After I had postponed the purchase for some time, I accidentally stumbled on the Web via the Chronos 700Z5A S03.
Granted, I’ve let myself tempted by the great design and ordered the part. It looks really classy. The display (1600×900) does not quite reach the Sonys, meets my requirements for mobile image processing means. The notebook is only slightly heavier than the Sony originallyonly aiming for, but much more stable, processed very solid and even quieter than my old Samsung! OK, it would have been nice if, in addition to the solid aluminum housing, the cover would have been to the touchpad made of aluminum. The disabled Keyboard is the finest. The battery lasts an eternity. This much is certain. But I know not whether the above-mentioned seven hours can be achieved. The processor is compared to other hardware a bit oversized, which in my image editing but is not a disadvantage. A Blu-Ray drive I need. Instead, I’ll see if you can install an SSD in there. Even so, the starting and operating speed is fast. € 1,239.95 for a very worthwhile purchase. That’s about 200 € more than the Sony, but that to me is the solid housing value. for more information on this go through the below link: http://forums.techarena.in/reviews/1433878.htm